Among The Clouds
by 42Nico
Summary: In which a story begins when a once-in-a-life-time encounter happens between a girl who's looking for the one behind the Message on the Ground and a boy who has been there the whole time. It's all a sequence of events that neither of them expected, really. (Or, Nigou becomes responsible for the eventual romance between a phantom and a country bumpkin.) [Kuroko/OC]. (HIATUS)
1. Page 1 (命 - Unmei - Fate)

**#1**

Once upon a time, there was a country bumpkin named Shinomiya Mitsuko who lived with her parents in a farm at Kyushu, Japan. That was until the Mother Almighty sent her to live with her Brother in Tokyo; her royal decree being, "You need to bond with your brother more, Mitsuko."

And so, I moved into my brother's apartment.

I now go to a nearby school called Seirin High, and this is a journal I started to record events of my life in said school. Mom said I should keep one because it would be the best years of my life. (Highly doubt it based on my middle school experience, but since I love her, I decided to do it.)

Will try to keep this up.

 **#2**

Seirin is a pretty neat school. It's relatively new since it just opened last year, I think. Or was it the other year…?

Can't exactly remember. It's only been a month since I got here— I went to Seirin since it was the closest school to our place here. I didn't want to go somewhere far since my brother is always away for work. He's going to stay in Tokyo for a while, but he's barely home due to his newly opened restaurant.

He does give me cooking lessons, though. I guess that's where the bonding comes in. Can't say it's a bond filled with nothing but love and affection since he's very strict when it comes to cooking— one chop on the head for every mistake, and I make them every single time.

But he does finish the food I cook for him. And he'll cook for me afterwards. (Though I think he's just showing off because of the Smug Look™ on his face every time I am forced to admit that his cooking is good. I should not stroke his ego anymore, to be honest. It's already big enough with him being the famous "Magician of Legumes" Shinomiya Kojirou* and all.)

He's not so bad, even though he can be rough at times. Once, he gave me the ultra rare Head Pat™ (the ultimate sign of approval and possibly affection) when I cooked hot pot for us.

I'm sure he adores me as much as I adore him.

(Well, not really, no. We have a love-hate relationship, as you can see.)

 **#3**

My first day of school was great— I arrived right after the opening ceremony. I was horribly late. Absolutely _great_.

And I looked like complete trash— my hair was a mess from running, and dark half-circles probably grew underneath my eyes. I even forgot to bring glasses and contacts. (I had to squint real hard to see clearly.) I shouldn't have watched the entire season of an anime the night before.

There were stands everywhere, and most of them were related to sports. I definitely did not consider joining one since I am no good when it comes to athletics. A simple morning exercise like a jog is okay but any more than that is a death march to me.

I do remember getting invited into the Occult club, but I turned down the offer. Did I look that much of a corpse back then?

 **#4**

I got into class 1-B, by the way.

There's this huge guy with flaming red hair who stood out in my class, and his eyebrows are super thick. They're so thick they form like two lines in each eyebrow so he looks like he has four eyebrows.

I forgot his name, but I call him Four-Brows in my head. Fitting nickname, I say.

 **#5**

I'm the one in charge of the flowerbeds outside our school building.

I've always loved growing all sorts of plants, and it's probably because I grew up in a family of farmers. Plus, I wasn't in any club; had nothing better to do anyway.

Mom even sent over some seeds for me to use when I mentioned it when she called. The country bumpkin in me was beyond ecstatic.

 **#6**

Currently, I am on a quest for true love.

…

Just kidding, my brother would kill me. I'm looking for some guy whom I referred to as Fifth Guy.

It all started when the school's basketball team did something pretty spicy on a Monday morning assembly.

Four-Brows did the startling opening. He made a bold announcement about defeating miracles and becoming the best player Japan. I was confused about the miracles thing but was amazed he balanced himself easily on those railings without getting scared of the height. I gave a round of applause for his balls of steel.

There were three guys who did their statements, too— one had a long back story that got interrupted, next was a saint who was willing to go through the pain of training to help a senior (it was probably some sort of joke, but God bless him), and the last one joined in for the sake of love.

Then, there was the fifth one. Or, at least I thought there was— I did see someone who had a microphone, but I didn't get to see their face properly.

It was then proven when I saw a message written on the field the morning after.

Mystery Fifth Guy wrote " _We will be the best in Japan"_ , and whoever that he was, he had my instant respect and admiration. It probably took him a while to write that huge message on the ground so he must've gone to school earlier than everyone else. And from what I saw, he even used chalk, too!

Imagine all the effort he put through all of that just so everyone could see the declaration of his goal and acknowledge it. I wanted to know who he was, as I may now be his fan.

Thus, my search for Fifth Guy commenced.

 **#7**

Of course, I've had my visits in the school gym.

However, I didn't really go that much since I might end up bothering them. I don't want to get banned from the gym so I kept my visits as few as possible.

I didn't know anyone from the team— most of them were second years. There was Four-Brows from my class, and I did try to muster the courage to ask him but seeing how intimidating he was…

Did I forget to mention his extra thick eyebrows gave him this bad guy vibe?

Plus, his red eyes were sharp as knives and fierce like a tiger. Not only that, I think he's about six feet in height. Or more. I think he's a foot taller than me…? Jesus, imagine talking to that guy— with him looking down on you with those predator-like eyes.

I'd like to have something to protect myself first before I even greet him with a casual good morning. I remember he tried to dunk Tanaka-sensei's head one morning. It was funny until I saw him glaring at something at his back.

I stopped laughing right away.

 **#8**

The seeds sure are taking their time to grow. I know it's not been a while since I planted them and there should be a small sprout by now. But apparently, nothing's coming out from the soil.

Weird.

I did water them properly. Set up a schedule for watering time and measured the exact amount of water needed for each kind of plant.

Should I use a fertilizer then? If I'm going to use one, I need the fresh ones. But that might cost too much. Where can I get dried leaves in this city anyway?

I need to do more research for this. If I'm going to be serious about this flowerbeds business, I'm going to do it all the way.

I want nothing but the best for my babies!

 **#9**

In any case, I still haven't found Fifth Guy yet, but I do know I'm getting close.

According to the information I've managed to gather from inquiries with Takeda-sensei to eavesdropping on the boys (and some girls) in my class, the basketball team will be playing at the semi-finals of the Inter High.

I'm honestly amazed they got through the preliminaries. I did hear they were pretty good since they got into the Final League of the Inter High last year, and that was supposedly a great feat for a basketball team that got only formed last year.

I still don't know where it'll be held, but I got my ways. I heard the boys are going to watch them this Saturday, and their meet-up is at the station on 10 AM. I'll just follow them from there.

 **#10**

God, I sound like a total stalker. But I'm not. I swear to Christ, I'm not. It just happened that I don't know where the basketball team is going to play so I need to figure out a way to watch their game. Why am I not born in this city instead?

Ah, God.

Hopefully, I won't end up somewhere and have to beg my brother to pick me up. Which I'm almost sure he isn't going to do. He's probably going to let me suffer for hours before he does.

Gods in the heaven above, hear my prayer. Please do not let those classmates of mine stray from their path and lead me in some weird place in Tokyo.

Amen.

 **#11**

Day of the semi-finals has arrived. Currently standing from a distance where my classmates are supposed to meet. It's only been 15 minutes since I arrived, but my stomach is growling. I regret not having lunch before I went off.

But, my excitement to see Fifth Guy for the first time is enough to overpower my hunger.

I wonder what he's going to be like.

From what I've been imagining since the day of the Message on the Ground, I imagined him to be a guy who gives off this certain kind of vibe that makes you want to lean on him for support. Someone you'd rely on in tough times and ask for help because you know he's going to his best for you.

Ah, I may be going too far with my imagination. I feel like I'm giving more meaning into something that's supposedly simple. It was just a small thing he did, but geez, why am I like this anyway?

A fan will be a fan, I guess…? One has to appreciate the small things.

I hope he'll be playing today. But it's okay if he's not. Either way, I'll get to see him, and that's more than enough for me.

 **#12**

Waited for almost an hour and finally figured out they were probably gone by then— that, or they cancelled their plans. I thought it was weird none of them were showing up until I finally realized that they probably met up somewhere or stayed at home instead.

Went home in total despair.

 **#13**

I'd like to believe my brother probably noticed I was down (I did not whine at him at all) so he took me with him to this okonomiyaki restaurant. The owner was supposedly a friend of his, and he wanted to give them a visit. But I think he just didn't want to bother taking out food for me. (I can cook for myself but I'm too depressed to do it.)

 **#14**

FOUND A STRAY PUPPY! VERY CUTE!

He was black and white in color— small in size, probably around months old. And he had the cutest eyes! They were so big and round and blue like the sky. He was very friendly, too! He even started licking my hand when I gave him a pet! 143/10 would give him all the love and treats in the world.

I couldn't adopt him, though. Pets are not allowed in our apartment, and even if it were, I wouldn't be able to keep him due to my brother's allergy to fur.

But fear not! A Good Samaritan approached me, and he was kind enough to adopt the puppy instead!

At first, I was surprised; I didn't notice he was already standing next to me. I gave him an awkward "good evening" as an icebreaker, but the guy seemed like a good person when he greeted me back politely.

Weird— Now that I think about it, I don't remember how he looked like that much, but I remember him having this gentle aura to me for some reason. And we did have this small conversation:

Guy: "Is he abandoned?"

Me: "Yeah… I found him sleeping in this box. It's too bad I can't adopt him. Pets are not exactly allowed in our place."

Guy: "… If you don't mind, I'll take him in for you."

Me: "Really? You'll do that?!"

Guy: "Well, we can't just leave him here by himself."

Me: "Yeah, that's true. But, you'll really do that?! Thank you so much!"

After that, I had to part ways with him since my brother called for me. The guy promised he'd take good care of the pup, and I promised I'd give him a treat the next time we meet. We said goodbye and went off in opposite directions.

I really do hope we'll see each other again. For now, I'll treasure this picture I took before we parted ways.

 **#15**

Should I go to the gym today? Since I missed the opportunity to see Fifth Guy, maybe I should.

But then again, I heard they won their match against Shutoku at the Inter High, so maybe they're busy training for the final league. I wouldn't want to disturb them now that they need to focus more on their practice.

Ah, I'm so torn! What should I do? I really want to know who the Fifth Guy is! It's been weeks already and I still don't know who he is!

 **#16**

Should I give up on him, then? What would I even gain when I finally get to see him?

It's not like something special's going to happen once it really does. This isn't even love to begin with— I'm not going to confess my nonexistent feelings and he's not going to be my boyfriend or anything.

(And if it was, I would've given up a long time ago. I don't know even know the guy; I've only had ideas and assumptions, but that doesn't mean I know the _real_ him.

I wouldn't want to keep that kind of love if it wasn't going to bloom into anything. Relationships aren't as easy as taking care of sunflowers at your backyard. The love that you give might be too much or not enough, and either way, it can only lead to decay.

So best not keep it, and move along with your life.)

 **#17**

Or maybe I shouldn't. If this isn't love at all, this is simply respect and admiration for him.

Yes, from the very start, it's respect and admiration only. Why did I even think of it being love just because he was a guy? Can't he just be someone I can look up to? Or even a friend perhaps? (This could only mean one thing— my natural instinct to reproduce as species must be at work.)

Maybe I should meet him one time, tell him that I'm a fan and he has my support. I'll cheer him on from the side lines, and that's it.

That's it.

I'll go to the gym one last time and once I see him, that'll be the end of it.

For now, I need to study for our proficiency test which is in a couple of days. I need to focus on them or else my brother will kill me if I fail.

 **#18**

I got the results from our tests, and I placed number 14/300— my lucky number! I think today will be a good day to do it, but…

My palms are sweating. My heart feels like it can jump into my throat and all the way out from my mouth. (Okay, that's kind of gross, but that's how I really do feel like.) My stomach feels queasy like something's trying to punch its way out, too.

Why am I so nervous anyway?

I wasn't as anxious as before. It's not like something's going to happen. I'm just going to see him, and that'll be the end of my 'Fifth Guy' shenanigans. After that, I'll be a full time researcher focused on the propagation of the flora in our school's ecosystem.

(A.k.a.: a student gardener with my salary being the beauty of seeing my babies grow.)

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"ALL THIS TIME?!"

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 **#19**

Some amazingly yet weirdly flavorful development just happened, and I still can't believe they really did. Where do I even start?

I was on my way to the gym to go see Fifth Guy when I heard a familiar bark from a distance. I wasn't sure if I heard it right, but when a puppy came out from the gym, I was beyond ecstatic. It was the same puppy from the other night!

Of course, I ran towards him, and I was so happy he still recognized me! I picked him up right away and I couldn't keep myself from cuddling him. He was still just as fluffy and he smelled so good!

In the middle of my happy reunion with him, a sudden "Excuse me" came out of nowhere that I almost dropped the puppy. He seemed to recognize the voice when he jumped out from my arms and ran towards the owner. As I followed him, a blue-haired guy in a white shirt and grey shorts picked him up, and the puppy started licking his face.

At first, I thought he seemed familiar like I've seen him somewhere before until I had a flashback from the night I found the puppy. It was then when I realized it was the Good Samaritan who adopted the puppy!

I greeted him with a "good afternoon" this time, and he greeted me back with the same polite tone. I told him it was nice to see him again; that I didn't expect to meet him so soon so I didn't get to bring a snack for the puppy. It was okay; he said and asked me what brought me to the gym.

And the following sequence of events was the greatest plot twist in my life.

Me: "Well, I'm looking for the Fif-… I mean, do you remember that giant message on the field? I'm looking for the guy who wrote it… and I heard he was from the basketball team so I came here. Do you happen to know him?"

Him: "Oh, that's me."

I was so surprised that I became speechless. I didn't know what to say, so I started stuttering incomprehensible words out of shock. And the one thing I had in mind was:

 _I've already met him before!?_

(And he was so different from what I imagined! I mean, as I wrote here before, I was expecting someone who looked reliable and— maybe it was just too soon to assume that from this guy, was what I thought.)

But that wasn't the end of it— something even spicier blew my brains away.

Him: "I've seen you come here a few times before, too, Shinomiya-san."

Me: "W-Wait, how come you know my name?"

Him: "… We're in the same class."

At that moment, I was just too astonished to even move. I couldn't remember what happened afterwards— I must've gone into Auto Pilot Mode, and when I came to, I found myself sitting in front of the flowerbeds. It was only then when it all registered into my head.

One, I finally found out who the Fifth guy was.

Two, he was the same guy who adopted the puppy from the other night. And;

Three, we've been in the same class all this time, and his name was Kuroko Tetsuya.

For the first time in my life, I screamed.

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 **#20**

A sprout had finally appeared from the soil at the flowerbeds.

I cried tears of joy.

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 **11/05/2017 - By majority of votes at the poll, I have decided to write this story!**

(I deleted the first one since I wasn't satisfied with the format so I rewrote the whole thing. Tehe.)

 ***Shinomiya Koujiro** – he is a character from the anime/manga called _Shokugeki no Souma_ , in case you are wondering. (I recommend it for anyone who's into food and cooking.) He's not exactly a major character here, but I thought him being Mitsuko's older brother could be a good addition and would make more sense later in the story. :')

So yeah, this is something different from my other works— they're mostly in 3rd POV but I hope you still liked it. I haven't really written anything for almost a year now so I'm a bit rusty. I apologize for that. Hopefully, I'll get back on track through this story and continue the others as well!

 **Thank you for reading! Reviews, favorites, and alerts are very much loved and appreciated! 3**


	2. Page 2 (友達 - Tomodachi - Friend)

**#21**

Since the day I found out about Kuroko Tetsuya-kun's existence, I've been pinching myself every time I wake up in the morning to see if I was still dreaming. And it hurt. Every one of them hurt.

This is definitely reality.

It has been a few days since the big reveal happened, and weirdly enough, I feel neutral all about it. Nothing spicy or popping or anything. It's almost as if I was back to how I was before, except I'm almost lifeless like a walking corpse or something.

I can't tell why but I also feel like something was missing. Like some kind of trigger for a reaction or emotion that I should be feeling about for this whole situation, I suppose.

Let's try it again.

After almost a month of searching, the guy whom I admire and respect has been sitting three seats away from me this whole time. His name is Kuroko Tetsuya, a regular player in the basketball team, and is also the one who adopted the cute puppy from the other night. But…

Even as I wrote that down, I didn't feel anything. No raised eyebrows, no slacked jaw, or even a slight bump in the heart. No emotions or whatsoever— just lingering thoughts like these ones I'm writing right now.

Weird. So weird.

This isn't Auto Pilot Mode— it only activates when my brain is too surprised by something and it needs to escape from that situation. It only lasts for about five minutes max, and as soon as I'm out of the situation, I'll be back on Normal Mitsuko Mode again.

Is it disappointment then?

Am I disappointed that Fifth Guy isn't someone I imagined him to be? But I didn't really have a specific image of Fifth Guy in my mind. He wasn't some guy who was way taller than me or someone who looked like he could lift fifty sacks of potatoes. Fifth Guy, or Kuroko Tetsuya-kun, is a little taller than me, and he doesn't look all that muscle-y. He looks pretty normal to me, if anything.

I only imagined the feeling; that he was someone I can rely on.

Maybe that's the thing I'm looking for— or, rather, _waiting_ for to happen, because you can only confirm that expectation once you get to know the person. It's not something that happens when you meet them once.

And if he did have the towering height or the pecs of a body builder, that didn't mean he was already reliable. He needs to do something first before he does become one.

So, maybe I just need to make my own move. I need to get to know him.

I did think he seemed like a good person when I first met him. I was reminded of the gentle aura he originally had when I met him again near the gym. And besides, he was the one who adopted the cute puppy for me. I think that says plenty about him.

But I shouldn't believe in the expectations I built from the things I've only seen once. The disappointment might actually happen if I did expect him to be like some sort of saint and then he'd turn out to be the complete opposite. Like a sadist or something.

Like I said, I need to get to know him.

And by that, I need to befriend Kuroko Tetsuya.

 **#22**

Ah, I think befriending him will turn out harder than I thought. Not just him exactly, but I mean anyone. Anyone in or even out of our school, because…

It's been more than a month since school started, but I don't have any friends yet. Not one, not any. _Zero._

Seeing how I'm someone who hails from the countryside, it's hard to interact with the city folks. They're like creatures from another world— like what do they even talk about? I mean, I know they're people like me, too, but I don't know how to connect with them because there's so much around stuff happening in the city that it's hard to keep up. I guess I can use my phone just fine, surf on the net, read manga, watch anime and stuff, but there's just so much that I need to learn and absorb to feel like I'm actually one of them.

Add to the fact that I'm shy, awkward, and introverted, it's really difficult. I don't even know the basics of communication, like how does one even start a conversation? Will it be weird if one just talk to another when they're not even that close? Will it be alright for them to be casual with a complete stranger?

And I have to watch out when I speak, too, or else my dialect's going to come out by accident. It's not that I find it embarrassing— as the quote goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," so I want to adapt into the city's culture by starting out with the way people speak.

Then there's this fear from my days in middle school, too…

Ah, I wish I wasn't this much of a worrywart. But then again, how can I just go into the battle field without any fighting experience? I might get shot at out of nowhere and end up ruining my chances.

God, please hear my wish. I would very much appreciate it if you gave me the willpower to pull this off.

 **#23**

I just want a friend, I guess. Someone I can talk to or at least someone who I can greet every the morning.

Yeah, that wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe we can hang out, too, and do other stuff that friends do. Like exchange numbers, eat lunch together, visit a café, and borrow things from each other, and so on. I've never really had anyone I can do that stuff with, so I guess I want to experience it with someone at least once.

Besides, as much as I love plants, I think it's not normal to talk to them all the time— especially if you try imagining a conversation with them, like "Good morning, Daisy-san. You're looking quite beautiful today!" _"Oh, I'm doing fine, dear. I am in full bloom today, thanks to your hard work!"_ "You're welcome! I'm glad to be of your service!"

Ah, wouldn't it be nice if they were actually alive? I wouldn't be so conscious and distressed about being alone and friendless in school. Although I'm actually quite used to it— middle school experience and all, it would still be nice if someone was sitting beside me right now.

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"Arf!"

The sudden bark made Mitsuko drop her pencil and journal in surprise, and from a distance, a puppy came running towards her. Seeing it was the same one from the other night, her face brightened up with a smile, and she welcomed him with open arms. He then jumped right into them, and Mitsuko couldn't help but to giggle in glee as he started licking her cheeks with affection.

"Good morning, Puppy-chan," she greeted him, giving the small one a pet. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Ah—"

Just as she heard the voice, Mitsuko stopped for a moment; she lifted her face up and saw a familiar figure approaching her. She squint her eyes a bit to get a better look— and upon recognizing the clump of blue hair; she was suddenly hit by a block of ice.

' _I-It's him!'_

Like a statue, Mitsuko froze from the panic surging through every nook of body. She didn't exactly expect a meeting with him this early in the morning, especially when she was just writing about him a little while ago. Not to mention that, she was also thinking about befriending this guy— she wasn't ready for the mission; there weren't even any preparations yet like practice conversations in her head, but here he was, a couple of feet away and was fast approaching.

' _Oh, God, what should I do? I'm not ready yet, gosh, why now? Why—'_

"Good morning, Shinomiya-san," was Kuroko's greeting, interrupting Mitsuko's train of thoughts.

She summoned every bit of her power to greet him back.

"G-Good morning, Kuroko-kun," Mitsuko replied with a stutter. _'Crap, I messed it up! What should I do next? Should I ask him why he's here early? No, I might sound overly familiar; we're not even friends yet… Maybe I— I should just ask him how his morning went? No, that's stupid! It_ is _morning right now! I should ask for a different—'_

"…-san?"

"Huh? Y-Yes?" she almost shrieked just as she snapped back to reality.

"I was wondering why you're here early today," Kuroko repeated; the tone of his voice was quiet and patient. "Are you taking care of the flowerbeds?"

"Y-Yes, I-I need to water some of them in the morning so I go to school early…" she answered, trying to be casual about her job though she kept on lowering her eyes to the puppy in her arms to calm herself down. "I have a lot of free time anyway so I, um, took this job. H-How about you…?"

"We just had basketball practice a few minutes ago," he said. "I was going to walk Nigou around here but he started running off on his own so I followed him."

' _Nigou…? As in Number Two? Why would he give him such name to a cute puppy?'_

In the silence that followed, Kuroko kneeled down right next to the plants, and he kept his gaze at them. Mitsuko was confused at first— wondering why he did that now— but she followed his stare. A gentle breeze passed by; the clouds hovering above provided shade for the two of them, and the fallen leaves from the trees around sailed along the wind.

Somehow, her eyes shifted towards him, and she found herself taking in the details of his face.

From his nose to his lips, Kuroko had normal features, Mitsuko thought, but his eyes told a different story. They were wide and blue, much like the sky— not the one in the middle of summer or the one before winter set in. They reminded her of when her cherry blossom tree bloomed for the first time and how everything was suddenly beautiful in her eyes. It was the first day of spring back then, and she could never forget how the clear, blue sky matched the beauty of the flowers in full bloom.

And for a moment there, Mitsuko felt at ease; almost as if she could feel something made its way between them, wrapping its arms gently around the two of them and pulling them closer and closer until they were five centimeters apart, and—

Everything would be alright, starting from this moment of silence with him.

"They're quite lovely," Kuroko said when he looked up at her with a small smile. "You did a good job on these flowers, Shinomiya-san."

To that, Mitsuko returned his smile with a bright one.

"Thank you, Kuroko-kun. I really appreciate that."

Picking up her pencil and journal for her, Kuroko stood up and offered them to her. Mitsuko then put Nigou down gently on the ground before she accepted them.

"I'll go on ahead now, Shinomiya-san," he asked. "I need to bring back Nigou to the gym. It's almost time for our class."

"I-I'll see you later, then!"

After he gave her a nod, Kuroko took Nigou with him as Mitsuko waved them goodbye, and the two disappeared into the corner of the building.

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 **#24**

I'm so happy right now!

I didn't expect for Nigou the puppy to find me here, but then Kuroko-kun appeared, too! I was so nervous I couldn't even speak properly but he was so nice to me!

He's a good guy after all. I guess I wasn't really wrong about him. He might be quiet and all, but he's a nice guy for sure. Someone who looked at the flowers the way he did wouldn't be so bad. He even complimented them!

Maybe I can do this. If I try talking to him more, I can make progress!

Ah, I'm so excited and nervous at the same time. This never really happened to me before so I don't know if I'm even doing it right. I may have the social skills of a raccoon, but maybe, I can pull this off!

For starters, I'll try talking to him later. If I can, I'll talk to him before our classes start. Or even on lunch! Yes!

Good luck, me! You can do it!

 **#25**

I can't approach him.

I tried— I actually got myself to stand up, start walking towards him, but I backed away instantly when I realized one fatal thing.

I didn't know what to talk about.

Reading back on my previous entry, I think I got way ahead of myself that I didn't even think of any topics for our conversation. Of course, I tried making a list of the things we could discuss like:

a) School. I thought that was pretty normal and something casual between us classmates, but wouldn't that be too boring? We'd just end up talking something about that happened to us every day, and who really cared about that kind of thing?

b) Club activities. Kuroko-kun was in the basketball team, but then again, I wasn't. I'm not even in any club! I only do the watering for the plants because I like it, but wouldn't that be boring as a conversation topic, too? I don't know if he'll even want to talk about it.

c) Basketball. Surely, he likes the sport since he plays it, while I like it enough to watch a few games or so. However, my knowledge about it is very minimal— I don't think I can talk about basketball to someone who actually plays it. I don't want to sound like an idiot and end up embarrassing myself…

Ah, I knew it. This is just impossible since we didn't really have anything in common except being in the same class.

Once again, I am in total despair. I don't think I can really do this.

God, why did you make me an awkward bean anyway? Is this a part of a grander scheme of things or something? Or did you just forget to put in Social Skills when you were mixing up my ingredients? Making at least one friend would've made this all much easier if I just had a pinch of that one vital ingredient. I'm not really asking for much; even a grain would be enough. Or even a granule or something.

I really want to be believe Kuroko-kun and I could be great friends, but seeing how I get all anxious about everything that I couldn't even think of anything, the feeling I had earlier might just go to waste.

Ah, where could I buy Social Skills when I need them?

 **#26**

Well, the least I can do now is to enjoy this lunch I made— some Nozawana* rolls, a few deep-fried chicken, and pickled radish.

I didn't get a head-chop when my brother tasted it— he'd give me one if I did a mistake, followed by a lecture— but he didn't give me the Head Pat™ either. He said it could be better, that he'd show me how he'd cook it later, so maybe, this was okay but not enough to earn the ultimate sign of approval. I think that's good enough for me to be happy about. But…

If only I had someone to celebrate with, this would taste so much better…

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"Excuse me…"

Pausing from writing, Mitsuko looked up, and she almost dropped her jaw in pure awe.

There stood before her was a slender girl who radiated so much charm and beauty that she felt the need to cover her eyes from the blinding sight. Compared to Mitsuko's mahogany-colored hair and fossil-like eyes, this girl had the features of a typical Japanese, but her long, black hair was so silky it looked like it was woven by God Himself, her skin was so naturally flawless that Mitsuko thought she was blessed among the blessed, and she couldn't honestly believe that a pair of brown eyes could even sparkle like hers.

' _I-It's a Goddess! A Goddess is here!'_

A Goddess of beauty had shown herself before her, but why would a divine being speak to someone as unworthy as Mitsuko?

"You're Shinomiya Mitsuko-san, right?" the Goddess asked— _'Her voice sounds so pleasing, too!'_ "I'm Ootori Akemi. Can I sit here with you?"

' _Even her name means beautiful! And she introduced herself so naturally! What is this?!'_

A bit nervous, Mitsuko replied with an unsure, "Y-Yeah, g-go on…" and put her journal back in her bag to give space for the girl. Akemi borrowed the seat next to them and propped her chin on her palm; her eyes watching the other girl.

Unsure of what to think of from the girl's sudden appearance, Mitsuko looked down and took a bite from her food. _'W-What should I do?! I let her sit with me but… I don't know what to do!'_

"Whoa, what is that? It looks good!" Akemi suddenly remarked when she noticed her lunch. "Did you make that yourself?"

Mitsuko nodded her head slightly. "Y-Yes, it's a, uh, Nozawana roll…"

"Oh, may I have some then please?

' _Wha… What?!'_ She wanted to have a taste? Mitsuko wasn't sure about that. No one outside her family had ever tasted her food before, much less something as simple as her lunch. Sure, her brother might have given it some kind of approval, but she still wasn't that confident since not a lot of people had tasted it.

' _But—'_ this could be a chance! No one had ever approached her like this before— even if some did, they'd only invite her to their club, but she didn't want to force herself into something she didn't want. In group projects, people only took her in because she was the odd one left. Maybe this could be a chance for her to have an actual friend in their class!

"Sure, g-go ahead," Mitsuko pushed her lunch closer towards Akemi. "I-I'm not sure if you're going to like it, though… It's my first time making it so…"

"I'm sure it'll taste good," the other reassured her with a smile. "Well, thanks for the food!"

Akemi then took a piece from the lunch box and ate it. Mitsuko kept her eyes focused on the girl for her reaction, all the while thinking _'Wow, she even looks graceful when she's eating…'_ until—

"Uwa, this is so delicious!" she exclaimed; her eyes twinkling much like the stars and her voice filled with nothing but amazement. "I haven't tasted anything like this before!"

Seeing how the Goddess looked so delighted with her food, Mitsuko almost cried tears of joy. This was the first time a classmate tasted her food, and on top of that, she liked it!

"T-Thank you so much!" Mitsuko gave her a relieved smile. "I'm glad you liked it!"

"No problem! It's really tasty, you know," Akemi said. "As expected of you, Shinomiya-chan."

After hearing that last sentence, her body visibly stiffened. _'"As expected…?" W-What did she—'_

Mitsuko let out a gasp; her eyes widening in shock. Lightning struck her happiness away, and as she realized what Akemi meant, a sense of doom dawned into her.

' _She..._ _She knows?!'_

"U-Um… W-What did you mean by that, O-Ootori-san?" She asked as calmly as she could, but her voice kept on cracking.

Akemi blinked once then twice before she let out a small laugh. "Aren't you Shinomiya Kojirou's sister?"

Mitsuko dried up all at once. "H-How did you know I was his…?"

"I've read about him having a younger sibling in a magazine," Akemi said. "He was asked in an interview if you were going to go to Totsuki* but he said you weren't planning to."

' _That's true,'_ Mitsuko thought.

That academy was on another level— she remembered seeing how her brother got so stressed whenever he'd come home to visit back then. She knew that school wasn't an ordinary one with the tough competition and the young, ambitious chefs from different parts of the world gathered in one place, and with how she was, she wasn't clearly suited for it. She would literally die in that place.

She did love cooking, but it was something she learned just so she could bond with her brother. Growing up, she didn't really spend a lot of time with him— not only because of their twelve-year age gap, but also he was rarely home. It was the only way to connect with him.

"You guys share the same last name, but I wasn't sure if you really were related to him since there wasn't any picture provided in that magazine," Akemi continued. "But now that I got a good look on you, you kind of resemble him!"

Once again, Mitsuko tensed up. _'Do I really look like that pink angry chicken…?'_

"Y-You seem to know a lot about him, Ootori-san…" She tried to change the subject. She didn't want to be compared to her brother in terms of looks as Mitsuko would like to believe she didn't look as scary and smug as her brother was.

"Why, of course!" If Akemi wasn't sparkling enough before, she sparkled twice as much now. She became more radiant than a hundred suns, and Mitsuko needed a pair of sunglasses or her eyes would burn out. "We went to your brother's restaurant before, and I've been his fan since then! His food is so heavenly, and not to mention he looks incredibly handsome, too!"

' _I-I don't know about the handsome part, but… Ootori-san must like cooking, then…? Should I ask her? It's okay, right?'_

"D-Do you cook anything, then…?"

At the mention of cooking, Akemi the Sun Goddess lost her shine and became as darkened as the moon. In total despair, she was grayer than a stormy sky; dead as the night.

Mitsuko started panicking.

"I'm sorry, Ootori-san! I'm really sorry!" She tried to apologize for her seemingly off-handed question. "I-I shouldn't have asked!"

"No, it's alright, no need to be sorry about it," Akemi recovered a bit but was still weak from the blow. "I just can't fry an egg without turning it into coal, you know? Reality hurts."

Sweat dropped from Mitsuko's forehead. "T-That's too bad… I'm sorry about that…"

"But, maybe…"

Akemi suddenly grabbed one of Mitsuko's hands; the twinkle in her eyes was reignited.

"I still have hope!" she said; her voice filled with determination. "You can be my teacher, Shinomiya-chan!"

Mitsuko inched away a bit, surprised from the sudden turn of events.

' _Me…? A teacher…?'_

With her current set of socializing skills, Mitsuko thought Akemi was almost asking to catch a flying pig for her. It was impossible— she couldn't even hold a proper conversation without getting all nervous and fidgety, but teaching someone? And it was cooking even! Like she said, cooking wasn't her forte; it was merely a hobby, and she was nowhere near a professional's level.

' _And what would I even teach her?!'_

"It doesn't have to be difficult recipes, too! You just need to show me how you do it," Akemi persisted. "That way, I'll definitely learn how to cook!"

Looking at the girl's determination, Mitsuko couldn't help but feel bad if she rejected her. She seemed so willing to learn that it reminded her of how she first asked her brother and parents to teach her about cooking. Even though she lacked the talent, she was so persistent back then that her brother would give her lessons every time he came home. It opened up a new world to her, and there should be no reason for her to not welcome Akemi into it.

So, Mitsuko braced herself— this would probably take all of her to teach Akemi anything, but she had to do it; not only for the girl, but also for her own improvement.

Yes, it would be a growing process for the two of them.

"I'll do it," Mitsuko said; resolved and ready for the new things to come. "I'll be your teacher, Ootori-san."

Delighted after hearing her answer, Akemi took both of Mitsuko's hand into hers, saying, "Thank you so much! I'll do my best, sensei!"

' _Se… Sensei…?'_

"Oh and can I call you Mitsuko from now on?" she said, grinning gleefully at her. "You can call me by my first name, too!"

Mitsuko was at loss— not because she was distressed, but she, too, was beyond ecstatic she couldn't even say a word. Standing at the background, she had seen this before— this familiar scene she only used to watch from the people around her who had one of their own.

' _A friend!'_

Finally, Mitsuko smiled. "Sure, Akemi-san!"

"Well, you can start by telling me how you did this Nozawana roll thing! Oh, wait, I need to take notes for this…"

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 **#27**

It's so weird having a friend. Time flies by when you have one, and you tend to forget things. I almost forgot to write an entry before bed time.

I don't think it's a bad thing, though. Forgetting things. Sometimes, it's good to forget things especially if it's a bad memory. It can be hard, though. I know because I still haven't forgotten mine. And I don't think I will.

But the memories of today are something I shouldn't forget. They've been the best ones I had in my life anyway, and I learned things more than I expected.

I made my very first friend, and her name is Ootori Akemi. She first approached me during lunch, and by some miracle of God and a conversation about food, cooking, and my brother, we became friends.

We even went to a ramen shop after our classes wherein she bought two bowls of ramen. She loves food, apparently— enough for her to not care if she gets fat. As long as she's satisfied, she's fine with it, was what she said.

I didn't expect that someone who looked like her would say that— from what I've seen, people have this natural tendency to keep that one thing that makes them beautiful so that others may not look away. They wouldn't want to lose it even if it means to sacrifice the things that they want.

In Akemi-san's case, it's her seemingly flawless image. She's beautiful beyond belief, and everything about her seems mesmerizing so people tend to believe that she can only do things that they assume to be fitting of her appearance.

But she betrays that assumption— she went and ate two bowls of ramen, and when I couldn't finish mine, she ate it, too. Then, she smiled to me, saying we should try making ramen of our own sometime. I still found her beautiful after that; even more so than before.

I guess I really don't know much about people and what to expect of them. I've never had friends before so they always surprise me. Having a friend is really fascinating.

There are more things I can say about her— things that I can only put in simple words but enough to define a beautiful complexity such as her. She's kind, cheerful, friendly, and fun to be with. Even though she seems perfect, there are things she can't do like cooking (and others I have yet to know), but she makes up for it with her determination to learn. After all, she's human just like everyone else is.

I couldn't honestly believe someone like her became my friend. It was something I never really imagined before, something I didn't think was possible until today happened. Until she and the rest of us together happened. I only wanted a friend, but I received something more than what I wished for!

Thank you for hearing my prayers, God! I'll definitely go on a shrine visit this New Year. And hopefully, I won't be by myself anymore. I'll be coming along with a friend this time!

But it's almost midnight now. I need to go bed— I still have to go to school for my babies tomorrow morning. I'll definitely greet Akemi-san when I see her, too!

Well then, good night! Mitsuko, out!

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 **\- NOTES -**

 ***Nozawana** (野沢菜) is a Japanese leaf vegetable, often pickled. It is of the same species as the common turnip and one of a Japanese variety of mustard leaf.

 ***Tōtsuki Tea Ceremony and Cooking Academy** (遠月茶寮料理學園 Tōtsuki Saryō Ryōri Gakuen) or **Tōtsuki Culinary Academy** is the main setting of the anime _Shokugeki no Souma_. Shinomiya Kojirou is an alumni of this academy.

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 **\- ANON REPLIES -**

 **PandaQueen -** Mitsuko might be a smart lass but she's a bit slow on noticing things, hahaha! Anyway, good luck on your finals! :')  
 **Nightspecs -** Oh~~ you're making me blush. That's the greatest compliment to a mere writer like me, hahaha~ Thank you so much!  
 **xXxim-batmanxXx -** Thank you! Very nice username, btw.

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 **11/07/2017 - More Mitsuko stuff, a moment with Kuroko, and a new character!**

I truly hope that you guys are enjoying it so far! (Though we've only been two chapters in, haha.) This will be quite a slow-burn kind of romance between the main couple considering Mitsuko's shy and introverted nature and Kuroko's a quiet boy. But wouldn't that make things more adorable? HAHAHA, AAAAA— fluff _is_ the third genre of this story (if you consider that a real one.)

Even so, I'll try to keep things _spicy_ with the other things that I planned for this story. Hee-hee~ please stay tuned in for more flavorful stuff in the future! ;)

 **Thank you for reading! Feel free to send me a private message or post a review for any comments, questions, or even suggestions. Alerts and favorites are very much appreciated, too!**


	3. Page 3 (意味 - Imi - Meaning)

**#27**

I just had the weirdest dream ever.

In that dream, I was back in my hometown at Kyushu. The second I realized it, I knew I was in a dream. Must be homesickness, I thought. I was in the forest near our home where I used to gather plants and ingredients. I was walking but I didn't know where I was exactly heading. I knew this place by heart— if I was looking for a specific plant or herb, I would've found it easily, but I felt almost as if I was looking for something entirely different.

So I kept on walking and walking until I starting running— my body felt light like I was there but not quite; I was almost floating in between the woods without getting hit by anything. It kept on going for a few more seconds until I stumbled upon a clearing where I saw someone standing in the middle of it.

I wouldn't have found it weird if the guy didn't have a long pair of white ears, much like a rabbit's. It stuck out from his head like a pair of pigtails (which I thought was really cute) and he was wearing a white suit with a red undercoat and a silver necktie. He looked kind of like an anime character with all the fancy clothing, to be honest, and I don't know if his ears made him look better or worse. Better, because I've always found bunny ears cute, and worse, because there are times when it doesn't work on some people. (I didn't question the logic behind those ears— after all, this was just a dream, and I was aware of it.)

He noticed my presence when his ears shot up and he looked towards my direction. For some reason, I couldn't remember his face like some sort of shadow was looming over his face. All I knew was we stood there, quiet as the forest breeze, until I heard him say—

" _You still have time."_

For a moment, I was confused— I wanted to ask what he was talking about, but before I could even speak, the man in the suit started running away. Then, out of instinct, I followed him— my body just moved on its own, and I only realized I was running when everything around me began to blur. We ran and ran for so long that the forest seemed to stretch for miles as I went after him.

The chase only ended when the man stopped in front of a tree that reminded me of Yggdrasil*, a gigantic tree said to be the tree of life. (Or, at least that was what I saw in an anime the other day.) It towered over the woods with its long branches extending from one another and its huge, long roots keeping the soil of the forest together.

There was an entrance where the man stopped, and he stood there as if he was waiting for something. _Was he waiting for me?_ I thought, and he answered that question when he turned towards me and reached out his hand like he was asking me to come with him.

At first, I hesitated— I tried to take one step forward, only to stop as I thought of what would happen if I were to go with him. Should I even trust him in the first place? He was a stranger, and I didn't even know how he looked like. How could I trust someone I just met?

But then, a part of me reminded that all of it was only a dream. This wasn't reality. What would I even lose if things went bad? He was just a dream. Everything that would happen was a dream, so what was I hesitating for? This was the safest risk I could ever have, ironic as that sounded like. This may just be the best dream I could have or the worst one yet— it all depended whether I took that hand or not.

So I started walking in a slow pace before I went faster and faster towards him until I was able to reach his hand. There wasn't much I could remember after we held hands; all I could recall was a smile, and I knew I shouldn't let my fear hold me back anymore. I gave him a smile in return before we walked into the entrance and…

After that, I woke up. I was back on my bed again.

With all that happened, I didn't think it was a nightmare. Sure, there weren't any monsters and stuff, but I didn't get scared or anything— just hesitation and doubt that I was strangely familiar with. Knowing the risks of taking that guy's hand but still taking it, it felt like it happened to me before.

Weird...

Maybe it was an interpretation of something? Like a symbolic thing of some sort?

Or is it a vision from the future? Do I have superpowers now? Will I still continue living a normal teenage life knowing that I may now be a part of the X-Men? How will I be able to fight crime with this power? Will I ever bring justice to this world?

But most importantly, can I put this in my resume as a special skill?

I don't know. Maybe I should ask Akemi-san about this. She might know what to do.

Anyway, I should take a bath now. It already took me long enough to write this, and I still have to go make lunch.

 **#28**

Arrived at school early enough to water my babies. Viva!

Also, I saw the members of the basketball team running laps around the school again. Every morning, they do about five to ten laps around before they start their morning practice. It's fun to watch actually— they do this "Fight-o!" chant and it just makes you wonder if that gives them extra fighting spirit or another way to drain to their energy (because screaming while running can be difficult).

First one I saw was Four-Brows, the guy from my class. I don't know why but there was something amazing about seeing him stand out with his flaming hair and towering height. It was a bit fascinating to look at, and you know he wasn't even trying to do it. (Still, it would be scary to approach him without knowing Karate or a few self-defense moves.)

I didn't get to see Kuroko-kun, though. He must've been somewhere in that bunch— that, or I just didn't see him because Four-Brows was garnering all the attention and I had my eyes on him the whole time. I don't normally stare at someone so scary but he just stood out that much. It's sort of like being on your guard when you know something is threatening your life so you try your best to keep your eyes on it.

Yep, that's definitely it.

 **#29**

After our classes, we went to the ramen shop again, and Akemi-san had the same two bowls of miso ramen. And on the promise that she would treat me, we went to a pastry shop wherein she had two slices of strawberry cheesecake and a couple of green tea buns. It's really fascinating to see how much a person can eat, especially if it's her. It should be one of the wonders of human nature. She never ceases to surprise me.

I told Akemi-san about the dream, and she told me it sounded a lot like Alice in Wonderland. Of course, as the country bumpkin who was only familiar with old Japanese folk tales and stories that old people made up to scare children, I asked what it was and despite initial shock (and _"my poor, poor child"_ ), she said it was a Western fairy tale about a girl named Alice who followed a talking white rabbit into a hole that led her to Wonderland.

Yep, it really sounded a lot like my dream.

(I'm kind of disappointed that I don't actually have a superpower. That would've been cool and all. I could've been a fortune teller or something. Oh, well.)

She asked me more details about that dream but I couldn't remember anything more than the scenes with the Man in the Suit. She said it would've been a good concept for a light novel or a shoujo manga. Apparently, she liked those kinds of stuff; said she'd like to be a mangaka or a novelist. Ever since she was a kid, she's always dreamed of getting her work published in Jump or in Margaret; that maybe someday, her masterpiece would be popular enough to become an anime. (Something I didn't expect from Akemi-san, but I was impressed when she showed me her drawings. They were incredibly detailed and beautiful to look at. I'll be cheering her on from now on!)

Hearing about her dream made me think of what I wanted to be in the future. I guess I haven't really thought about it that much— I only wanted to grow plants and cook sometimes. Maybe I can do something with those? If there is, what is it then? I don't know. Maybe I should start doing research about these things just so I know what I'll need to do when the time comes.

But for now, I think I'll enjoy my first year in high school. There are still a lot of things I've yet to learn and experience anyway.

 **#30**

Speaking of those things, I remember writing down goals for high school when I was still in Kyushu. It's a list of the things I want to achieve, which went through a lot of changes since I moved into Tokyo. Then, there's Mom who suggested one thing I couldn't ever remove. I have the original list here— it's a bit messy with all the bright colours, erasures, and ugly doodles. (I've never been really good at drawing…)

Anyway, this is the latest version of the said list:

1) _Make friends._ This was in my number one priority— it was highlighted with a bright, neon yellow marker written in bold characters. It was more like a promise to me for all the years I've spent alone, and I had to make it happen after my family gave me this chance to start my life anew in this city.

It had been crossed out since the day Akemi-san and I started hanging out and was replaced with " _Make more friends!_ " written in a red pen. (I doubt that's going to happen soon since making one is already hard enough— maintaining a friendship is even harder. I've never been that much of a talker anyway…)

2) _Join a club._ I was never in a club before, given my personality and the stuff that happened in middle school. Now that I'm in high school, there are a lot of options for me but since my only interests are plants and cooking, my choices are limited to two. Now, I tried looking for a gardening club or a cooking club, but tragically, there weren't any.

I did get invitations from others, but they were mostly from sports related clubs. They were definitely out of the question— anything that had to do with moving my body for hours was an X. I might die out of exhaustion or something. As I think about it, this goal is getting more and more impossible for me…

3) _Get decent grades._ Now this was something I could do since I wasn't doing anything in particular. I wasn't in any club so I wasn't that busy. I watered the plants every day, but that only took about minutes to finish. With all the time I still had left, I had nothing better to do than to read my notes. If not, I read references for gardening or recipes for Japanese (sometimes French) cuisine. (Wow, I seriously need a new hobby…)

4) _FALL IN LOVE!_ No matter how much I cross out this goal, it just kept on appearing due to Mom's interference. The list got messy because of this one— it pretty much went through war of getting blacked out or getting written again. No matter how much I tried to keep this hidden from Mom, this option would magically reappear like it could find its way back in. After a few more erasures and reappearance, I decided to let it stay on this list to keep it from getting messier.

Of course, I don't have any plans about falling in love or something. My Mom insisted that I should— _"High school was when your Pops and I got together, you know~"_ was what she said— but I'm sorry, dear Mother, your daughter wishes to have a high school life filled with memories of friendship and bonding with her closest pals. Plus, it literally took me years before I got a decent friend— what more if I decided to get a boyfriend? That would probably take me decades... or probably never. Who knows?

Well, that's my list of goals for now. Hopefully, I'll get to add more in the future. I still have years before I finish high school anyway. I have plenty of time to think of something to achieve in my life here.

Off to school, then!

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Out of all their classes, gym was probably the least of Mitsuko's favorites.

With hesitation pulling her back, Mitsuko took one step forward, and she could already feel her skin frying under the sun. She always dreaded for this class during Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays especially now that the seasons were about to change, and things would just get worse. She didn't really mind getting tanned— her problem was the unbearable heat and the sweat building up everywhere on her body.

Mitsuko started fanning herself. _'Ah, wish I could take a shower after this…'_

Well, she had no other choice to bear with the heat. If she wanted to pass this class, she needed to endure. _'Endure, endure, and endure…'_

The teacher then asked them to pair with each other. They were going to do some running around the field for the day as part of their track and field lesson. Mitsuko wasn't sure if she would be thankful for that— sure, it was pretty simple but they had to do it in the intense heat. She was definitely going to die after this.

As the others started pairing up, she stood doing some warming up on her own. She might've had a partner if Akemi was absent today— the girl sent her a message saying she got the flu. Then again, Mitsuko wasn't sure about partnering up with her— she didn't really know if Akemi had other friends in their class, so being alone may just be what fate decided.

' _She has a lot of friends for sure!'_

Thinking about the past few days that they've spent together, Mitsuko found that she loved being in the girl's presence. She'd always get this warm feeling when Akemi talked about food and learning how to cook. Her beauty was a plus, too; she'd give Mitsuko the prettiest and kindest of smiles she had ever seen. It wouldn't be surprising if Akemi had many friends— she was perfect, and that only amazed Mitsuko more.

' _Akemi-san's really amazing! I can't believe I can even call her by her first name…_ ' she smiled to herself, feeling proud of her friend. _'Am I really worthy of such privilege?'_

"Hey, do you have a partner yet?"

Mitsuko paused from stretching and turned to her left.

Much to her surprise, it was Yanagi Keisuke, a guy from her class. They had been group-mates for an assignment before— that was why she knew his name— and he was one of the few people who had invited her to their club before. He was a part of the Art club, if she could remember correctly, but Mitsuko turned down his invitation since the only thing she could draw was a stick-man. She honestly thought that would be the end of their conversations, but here he was standing right in front of her.

' _Wait, this is—!'_

Opportunity struck her as fast as lightning. Could this be one of those once-in-a-lifetime encounters that happened with Kuroko and Akemi before? They all started with these sudden approaches, and this was very similar to those. This was her chance for Goal No.1!

'" _Make more friends!"'_

"N-No!" Mitsuko tried not to sound frantic. She could almost contain the giddiness from taking over her. "S-Shall I assist you then?"

"Sure."

Yanagi proceeded to sit on the ground and the girl kneeled behind him. As he started stretching his arms out to reach for his right foot, Mitsuko, who was both nervous and excited with the unexpected contact, put her hands on his back and pushed him lightly. She was living the dream— a normal high school scenario like this was something she had only seen in a shoujo manga before! Now, it was actually happening to her!

With tears of happiness, Mitsuko did an inner victory pose. _'Thank you, God of High School!'_

"Say, Shinomiya-san…"

She perked up. "Y-Yes…? W-What is it?"

"You've been hanging out with Ootori a lot lately. You two are friends now, huh?"

Mitsuko wasn't sure if she was allowed to say yes to that. Yes, they had been together for the past few days, but that was the thing— they only started out recently so she wasn't sure if they were really, _really_ friends.

But then again, did she need confirmation for that? Wasn't that how friendship worked? When two people started doing stuff they enjoyed together and shared their dreams with each other, those were signs of friendship, right?

"Yes," Mitsuko finally said with a fond smile. "I guess… Akemi-san and I are really friends now."

Yanagi blinked, switching to his left foot. "Oh, I see. That's good then."

The girl raised an eyebrow in confusion. What did he mean with that? And why was he concerned about her friendship with Akemi? Was he one of those characters from TV dramas— the rich and strict mother who didn't want her child to be friends with the commoners?

' _No, wait!'_

Instead of questioning his statement even further, something else came into her mind. _'Could it be…?'_

Could he be in love with Akemi?

Mitsuko became flustered; her face reddening at the thought of romance. She started recalling all of the information she gathered from the shoujo mangas she read before and came up with different theories. There were three possibilities for this kind of situation, which were:

1) _The Childhood Friends._ Did they know each other before? Were they childhood friends? Did they grow up with each other? And after sometime, did he realize that he had always loved her? Did he finally decide to make a move on her now that they were on high school?

2) _Love at First Sight._ Was it love at first sight? Well, Mitsuko wouldn't be surprised with that— Akemi _was_ beautiful. There'd be no doubt that a lot of boys had fallen for her. Not only that, she was kind and talented. Who wouldn't fall for that? Akemi was practically a Goddess! Or—

3) _The Silent Protector._ Could he be looking out for Akemi all this time? Was Yanagi her silent protector— _no_ , her very own Batman? Did he talk to her to confirm Mitsuko's relationship with her? That she wasn't bullying Akemi or anything?

Somehow, this all made Mitsuko wonder with excitement. _'Which one is it then?'_

"It's not what you think, just so you know."

And in that instant, all of her theories shattered into pieces. Her face fell with disappointment but as she realized that he _knew_ what she was thinking about, it was immediately replaced with terror. Was he some sort of mind reader? She stepped back a bit and covered her face in an attempt to prevent him from reading her thoughts.

' _Is he a Yokai*?'_

Looking at her reaction, Yanagi let out a small laugh. "It's not that I like her or anything. I just happen to know her, that's all."

She visibly stiffened. _'H-He_ is _a Yokai!'_

"It's good to see her making friends again," his lips curved up into a soft smile. "I'm really happy for her."

' _Again…?'_ What did he mean by that? Did something happen to her back in middle school? Mitsuko couldn't imagine Akemi bullying other people. She was one of the nicest people she had ever met. And the bad girl image didn't seem to fit Akemi's bright smiles and cheerful personality. She was the Sun Goddess— there was no way she could do harm to others. It just didn't seem possible.

Should she ask him then? _'No,'_ that would be too invasive. It might be sensitive information, and they weren't even that close yet. She shouldn't force him or even Akemi to tell her the details. The time would eventually come when Akemi would be willing enough to open up about it.

So, Mitsuko attempted for something else instead.

"Are you sure you don't like Akemi-san, Y-Yanagi-kun?"

"No," was Yanagi's immediate answer. He then stood up from the ground and lent a hand for the girl. "I'm sure about that."

Mitsuko stared at him first, scrutinizing the boy— _'he doesn't look like he's lying, though…'—_ before she took it.

"A…Are you her mom then?"

Yanagi couldn't help but to laugh as he pulled her up to her feet.

"Do I sound like it?"

"So…Sort of…"

To that, he just gave her a silly grin and slid his hands into his pockets.

"Well, I've known her since elementary school, you know?" Yanagi said with a reminiscent look in his eyes. "We also went to the same middle school, and now, we're still in the same high school. Weird, right…? But I guess…

He paused for a moment to think of the right words to say before continued. "Somewhere along the way, I just started looking out for her."

Blinking her eyes, Mitsuko could only stare at him.

She didn't really know what to say about that, but it gave her the same feeling she'd get whenever she started cooking something back in home. Halfway through the preparation, her brother, Kojirou, would walk into the kitchen and pretend he was going to go for some drink but she'd catch him sneaking glances at her way. He'd say some offhand comments which she always managed to translate as hints or guides on how to do certain things more effectively and efficiently.

After eating her food, her brother would tell her his harsh yet honest opinion of the taste and quality. She didn't really feel down after that, because in the end, he'd show her how he'd cook it his way, which she'd translate to, "I'll teach you a new way on how to make this even tastier that it already is."

This could only mean one thing.

"Yanagi-kun, are you what they call a, uh, tsundere*?"

At her question, the gentle look on Yanagi's face broke down, and he burst out laughing.

"Hell, no!" he said in between his laughter. "I don't even act like one, jeez!"

Mitsuko pouted her lips in disappointment. How could she be wrong? As far as her Shoujo Manga Knowledge went, the tsundere had two classifications— her brother was the harsher and more violent version ( _tsun-tsun_ , as they called it), but Yanagi was definitely the sweeter one (or the _dere-dere_ ). Or maybe she didn't consider the other factors in their conversation. She only put the denial (which was quite Tsundere of him) into consideration anyway, so—

"A kuudere*...?"

Yanagi kept on laughing. "Where did you get that idea from?"

Well, he seemed like one since he had this calm and collected façade before the two of them started talking about Akemi. It was very much like how a kuudere's cool exterior melted down into a sweet and caring personality, but she guessed he wasn't _that_ much of an icy character even back when he invited her to join their club. So, this left her to the last choice, which was—

"A dandere*, then…?"

"God, _no!_ " he tried to say with tears forming at the corner of his eyes. "And that sounds like dandruff!"

Getting a bit frustrated, Mitsuko narrowed her eyes at him. If he wasn't being shy about his feelings, then what was the meaning behind all of his actions? Why did he have to look after her? What was Akemi to him? If it wasn't love, then what was it? Everything he did make no sense to her, and it confused her to no end.

Had her Shoujo Manga Knowledge failed her?

Seeing the incredulous look on her face, Yanagi started to calm down until finally, he let out a sigh and cleared his throat.

"Like I said, I don't like Ootori that way," he said. "Let's just say she's like a younger sister to me, alright?"

Still suspicious of him, she only gave him a slight nod. Somehow, she knew he wasn't lying from the fondness in the way he said that last sentence, but she just couldn't believe him anymore. Yanagi Keisuke was a math problem she couldn't solve no matter what answer she provided; a word she couldn't find meaning to even with a dictionary, but—

Shoujo Mangas had helped her so far, and she refused to throw it all away. Could this be what they call determination? This might be the point of a manga when the protagonist didn't want to give up, and she, too, must fight on.

Then, Mitsuko heard the coach yell to start running around the field with their partner. Upon hearing the announcement, Yanagi gave her a pat on the head and walked on ahead of her. She followed behind him shortly, and whatever gave her this drive to solve this walking puzzle in front of her, she watched his back with only one thought in her mind.

' _Someday, I will find a solution to him.'_

 **.**

"Seriously though, you need to stop watching anime. People might mistake you for an otaku, Shinomiya-san."

"W-Wha—? I'm not!"

"You are! How do you know those terms anyway?"

"… D-Does that mean you know the meaning behind them?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Doesn't that make you an otaku, too?"

"… Huh. Touché."

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For the nth time that afternoon, Mitsuko let out a sigh.

After watering the flowerbeds, she decided to go for the nearest fast food chain to take out some food. Her brother sent her a mail that he wouldn't be returning home until before midnight, and she was too tired to cook food for herself. Gym was more tiring than the usual— usually, she'd be fine even after three laps around the field, but today, those same three laps tired her out so much that she couldn't even write in her journal.

They ran in pairs, and Mitsuko got partnered with Yanagi Keisuke. After their conversation about their relation to Akemi, Yanagi wouldn't stop teasing her while they ran together. Annoyed, Mitsuko had to run faster to leave him behind, but the boy caught up with ease just to tease her more. The two of them ended up finishing first among their classmates— with Mitsuko dead on the ground and Yanagi looking perfectly fine.

Once again, she heaved a heavy sigh. Remembering it made her even more tired than she already was.

' _I can't wait to go home… I'll take a bath after dinner and go to sleep… Yes, sleep sounds good…'_

"My bed… my soft, warm—" she paused from groaning to let out a yawn, "be…d… I want to marry my—"

 _Thud!_

Just as she was about to take another yawn, Mitsuko crashed into someone's back. Before she even realized it, she was already falling but—

"Ah—!"

—something saved her from landing on her butt. She had her eyes closed the whole time, and when she decided to take a peek, she instantly regretted it.

Glooming down on her with his arm around her tiny frame, Four-Brows stared at her with his red eyes burning holes into her and a weirdly yet wildly bewildered look on his face. Mitsuko had turned into a statue— fear had completely taken over her and it kept every nerve in her body frozen.

"You… You okay?"

At the sound of his voice, Mitsuko's soul crumbled into dust.

' _God… What is the meaning of all this?'_

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 **\- NOTES -**

 ***Yggdrasil** – is the tree of life, and it is an eternal green Ash tree; the branches stretch out over all of the nine worlds in Norse mythology, and extend up and above the heavens.

 ***Yokai** – (妖怪, ghost, phantom, strange apparition) are a class of supernatural monsters, spirits and demons in Japanese folklore.

 ***Tsundere** – is a Japanese term for a character development process that describes a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing a warmer side over time.

 ***Kuudere** – a character archetype considered cold hearted and indifferent, but not showing their true colors.

 ***Dandere** – is a quiet and often antisocial character. Danderes often want to be sociable but are too scared or too embarrassed to talk.

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- **ANON REPLIES –**

 **PandaQueen –** Who wouldn't, eh? Shinomiya Kojirou is a masterpiece! LMAO! And thank you very much! ASDFGHJKL I wanted to make that moment light and simple but with a pretty imagery, he-he~~ Thank you!

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 **11/13/2017 - A weird dream, another character intro, and an unexpected encounter!**

Aaaaggghh, I got distracted by a lot of things lately so I apologize for the late update. Actually, I was going to publish this chapter yesterday but I felt something was missing so I added that last part. Hee-hee~~ Hope you enjoyed it!

Anyway, **thank you so much for reading! Feel free to leave any comments, questions, or even suggestions~ You can send them in through a private message or a review! ;)** **Alerts and favorites are very much appreciated, too! XO**


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